Project Collaborate takes the next step in improving streetworks coordination

Project Collaborate, a Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) project funded through Ofgem and Innovate UK, has now entered an important development phase, marking a key step towards improving how streetworks are planned and coordinated across the UK.

The project is being delivered in partnership with Cadent, National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED), Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), and EA Technology . It is bringing together expertise from the energy, local authority and innovation sectors to address a long-standing industry challenge. This phase of the project will deliver a functional prototype that will demonstrate how highway authorities and utilities can proactively identify opportunities for collaborative working, helping to reduce disruption for road users while improving the efficiency of infrastructure delivery.

The UK's energy networks depend on extensive streetworks to maintain and upgrade critical assets. As the industry transitions from reactive network upgrades to a more proactive, long-term delivery approach, the volume of streetworks is expected to increase. This growth will be driven by expanding asset renewal programmes, increasing demand on infrastructure, and the acceleration of net zero ambitions. However, history has showed us that limited coordination between highway authorities utility organisations can result in repeated streetworks taking place in the same location, creating unnecessary disruption for road users, local communities, businesses and the wider economy.

Building on the foundations established during the ‘Discovery phase’, the project will enhance data sharing between organisations and support earlier, cross-sector collaboration before planning starts. By integrating common data standards, scalable system architecture and stakeholder-led process design, Project Collaborate aims to establish the technical and organisational foundations required for future national deployment.

Alongside developing the prototype, the project will work closely with utilities, highway authorities and other key stakeholders to design and validate collaborative streetworks processes. This will help define the roles, responsibilities and governance arrangements needed to support wider adoption across the sector.

The long-term ambition of Project Collaborate is to make collaborative streetworks a standard way of working across UK infrastructure, helping to reduce disruption, improve customer outcomes, lower costs and support more efficient delivery of investment programmes.

Any organisation or authority interested in learning more about Project Collaborate, or explore opportunities to get involved, please contact the project team at [email protected] & [email protected].